Chai-Spiced Apple Crumble Blondies

Blondies, fall style! Chai-Spiced Apple Crumble Blondies combine the flavors of the season with the brownie’s brown sugared-little sister.

Can I get a hell yeah for November?

I know there are some folks out there who dread the cold weather seasons, but for me? I’m all for them. Granted, our cold is waaaaay different from everyone else’s, so any temp change is quite alright with me.

Especially on days like today, where all I have to do is wake up and enjoy myself outside. This girl is on a 4-day mini vacation, spending time with one of my dearest friends who’s visiting from out of town.

Our plans today? Meeting another dear old friend to do all the things at Universal Studios!

Thanksgiving is all about family, friends and delicious food. Luckily, the food blogging community is all about these things as well. To celebrate the holiday, Meghan from Cake ‘n Knife and Susannah from Feast + West are hosting Blogsgiving Dinner. There are more than 20 blogs sharing recipes today!

The idea is based on an old-fashioned potluck dinner party. Each blogger is bringing one or more dishes to the party, so be sure to stop by each one and get some ideas for your own Thanksgiving meal. We’ll be posting to social media with the hashtag #blogsgivingdinner, but you can see the entire menu below in our recipe roundup.

Thanksgiving has come a long way in my life. From a quiet dinner with Nana every year, to one that included my grandparents, to the one we celebrate now with my best friend’s family. The people we share the day with may have changed, but the sentiment is definitely still the same:

Recognizing what you have, and being thankful for it. Right? I mean it’s not all about the love of turkeys and pumpkin pie.

It’s honestly a holiday I never really thought too much about until recently. 2016 has been a trying year, between loss to hurricanes to questioning my passions in life. It’s easy to lose sight of what’s right in front of you when you’re doing nothing but trying to look too far ahead, or even too far behind in some cases.

So on to the eternal question: with everything that happens the other 364 days of the year, why do we only take one day to celebrate what we’re thankful for? It’s not like a Thursday in November is designated as the only day to look at the value of what you do have in life versus what you don’t.

Tomorrow is not promised.

I can readily admit that I’m guilty of doing exactly those things, mainly because it’s easier to complain and lament all the bad in life because we are so good at commiserating as a society.

Why is it so much harder to be grateful?

For me personally, it’s a battle I fight on a daily basis. I truly have everything I need in life under my roof – food, clothing, shelter, and love. I’m so easy to please, and yet it’s all somehow never quite enough.

There’s always something new to strive for, to have, to know, to be.

These are the kinds of things we discuss over Thanksgiving dinner. Amazing food, deep conversations, and thought-provoking disputes, all before a rousing round of family Cards Against Humanity or Monopoly.

Games in which we can all agree to be thankful for the chance to laugh together as friends who double as family.

Crumble topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8x8 cake pan and set aside.

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugars on high speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until blended. Sift in dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Set aside.

Apple filling

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then arrange evenly on top of batter.

Crumble topping

Stir together oats, sugar, flour, and spice in a small bowl. Cut in butter and massage in until mixture is crumbly. Spread evenly over the top of the apples.

Bake for 30-40 minutes in preheated oven until blondies are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly with no batter.

Cool 5-10 minutes before serving, then enjoy with a drizzle of caramel or a scoop of ice cream.

by Erica

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

Amount Per Serving

As Served

Calories387kcalCalories from fat 148

% Daily Value

Total Fat16g

25%

Saturated Fat10g

50%

Transfat1g

Cholesterol58mg

19%

Sodium67mg

3%

Carbohydrate58g

19%

Dietary Fiber3g

12%

Sugars35g

Protein4g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

Calories

2000

Total Fat

Less than

65g

Sat Fat

Less than

25g

Cholesterol

Less than

300mg

Sodium

Less than

2,400mg

Total Carbohydrate

300g

Dietary Fiber

25g

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